In this work, we are interested in the real-world application of using electric autonomous
vehicles for transporting customers. More specifically, we study an upon-request customer transport service, which will be the modus operandi of the considered line in
off-peak hours (peak hours being served by a classical fixed timetable). The line is
fixed in the sense that customers can be picked up and dropped off only on the considered
infrastructure, at the place of their choice. Customers also have either a preferred departure or arrival time. Our problem consists in maximizing the level of service for the customers (minimum travel times, minimum gaps with preferred dates) while minimizing the fleet use (and therefore operating costs). We have to manage the assignment of customers to shuttles, as well as the shuttle's operation. Since the shuttles travel on a dedicated infrastructure, we model the problem at the microscopic level, handling the occupation of the infrastructure by each individual shuttle, even handling the take over between shuttles. We also take care of the possible recharge of the shuttles at depots. This microscopic modeling hence brings some new features specific for this type of problem which do not usually appear in guided transport traffic
management (e.g. railways) or road transportation problems.